Get With The Guidelines®-Stroke performance indicators in patients with transient ischemic attack

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Cardiovascular Medicine
• Public Health

Background:

• Transient ischemic attack (TIA) poses a significant risk for subsequent stroke, with 10-15% of patients experiencing a stroke within three months.
• Many TIA patients do not receive recommended interventions, highlighting a gap in preventative care.
• The Get With The Guidelines®-Stroke program aims to enhance stroke care by promoting adherence to evidence-based guidelines.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate adherence to specific stroke quality indicators in patients diagnosed with TIA.
• To compare the implementation of these quality indicators between TIA and acute ischemic stroke (AIS) patient cohorts.

Main Methods:

• A retrospective observational study design was employed.
• Consecutive patients admitted with TIA or AIS between August 2008 and December 2013 were analyzed.
• Six key quality indicators applicable to both TIA and AIS were assessed and compared.

Main Results:

• While some interventions like antithrombotic medication use were similar, TIA patients showed lower adherence to discharge antithrombotic medication, lipid-lowering treatment, and stroke education compared to AIS patients.
• Specific adherence rates for TIA patients were: antithrombotic medication (95% vs. 98%), lipid-lowering treatment (57.7% vs. 64.1%), and stroke education (56.5% vs. 74.5%).
• Statistical significance (p < 0.01) was noted for differences in lipid-lowering treatment and stroke education.

Conclusions:

• Adherence to certain Get With The Guidelines®-Stroke quality indicators is suboptimal in TIA patients compared to AIS patients.
• Reinforcing the importance and implementation of clinical interventions for TIA patients is necessary.
• These findings underscore the need for targeted strategies to improve secondary stroke prevention in TIA.